Victoria Street was recorded by Buddy Holiday (Jahan Kumarasinhe, Calum Newton and Bryce Wilson) over the course of a month in our share house in Flemington, Melbourne. The world doesn't need more celebrities, gadgets, fashion and doomsday clock culture, it just needs more people who care about people and the future generations that will inherit the world as we make it. In our own small way it'd be nice to say fuck you to the short sighted culture that ultimately feeds off the future for the short term gain of material comfort. Thank you to our friends for all the help, encouragement and enthusiasm to keep writing, playing shows and making music, we owe you all to the moon and back. See you all soon, xx BH (Bandcamp)

Alex Wall kicked off his foray into the music world as one third of Gold Coast punk slackers Bleeding Knees Club. As likeable (kinda) as the miscreant trio was (for a short while) there is much more for listeners to gain in his solo guise as Wax Witches. The album still has that same nasally, attitude-ridden cry of his (Habit, Closer To The Lord), which can get a little grating, but there's a bunch of shoegazey, lo-fi surfer gems (Danny Delete, Morning Flowers, Love Slowed) that show how far a small-town misfit has come.(themusic.com.au)

In 2014 we released the brilliant “A Thousand Days” LP by the Rainyard, an early 90s quartet from Perth, Western Australia. Saddened to hear that their 2015 reformation was not to be, in their place we got the Jangle Band…

Lucky for us, this fill-in band featured a dream team of Australia pop musicians (including Jeff Baker from the Rainyard) and even better news was that they decided that it was to be more than a one-off live performance. Even though the members were spread across both sides of Australia, within 4 months they had written and recorded their debut album. We heard it, we loved it, we wanted it.

“Edge Of A Dream” is an album filled with 10 jewels and 10 reasons for still believing in melodies, harmonies and chiming guitars. It’s the sound of the Byrds, the wit of the Kinks and the heart of the Triffids. It’s not a dream, it’s all here, don’t miss it, highly recommended! (Bandcamp)Edge of a dream by The Jangle Band

OK, there's "garage rock" -- and then there's the sweaty, insulation-tearing, cigarette-butts-smoldering-on-the-floor, PBR-cans-strewn-about garage rock. On their just-released, seven-song "Loser" EP (via Postmark Records), the Soaks (comprised mainly of guitarist/vocalist Jordan Clark, bassist Jakob McWhinney and keyboardist Priscilla Castro) channel the reckless, anything-goes abandon of the Ramones or the Clash and the scrappy, pop-singalong melodies of bands like Best Coast and FIDLAR. While surf-punk bands are pretty much a dime a dozen these days, the Soaks tap into the grungiest and most authentic version of that whole concept while dishing out an earnest, self-deprecating and rather cynical commentary on love, life and all the bulls--- that goes along with it. Clark (who also plays bass in Mrs. Magician) seems to have had a rough go of the whole romance thing -- and while we feel for the guy, his misfortune makes for some absolutely killer rock tunes complete with hooks galore, vocal harmonies and delightfully acerbic lyrics: "Falling in Love" bursts open with lyrics like "I need a new relationship / Like a bullet to the head," and stand-out track "I Don't Need a Girlfriend" is literally about just that. It's not Shakespeare, but f---, even the ol' Bard himself occasionally romanticized about the foolish pointlessness of love back in the day. Just 'cause something's simple and to the point, doesn't make it any less profound. And to that end, "Loser" is a complete champion. (nbc san diego)

A homemade hybrid of creaking pop and basement rock, using an array of textural devices and hummed noise. Echo boxes, delay pedals, soft distortion dynamics and guitars with buzzing strings. There is drift and there is direction. Enjoys the sounds of Little Wings, Guided By Voices, Velvet Underground, Wedding Present, Television Personalities.(bandcamp)

Philly classic-rock revivalists Sheer Mag have released their new EP III today, and it picks up right where the last EP left off. This is a band that works on basically every level. The unapologetic fire-breathing of the classic-rock guitars, the righteous wail of singer Tina Halladay, the prizing of groove above all else — it’s all married to incredibly tight songcraft. “Can’t Stop Fighting” has a riff that will lodge itself in your brain for the next week, “Worth the Tears” is as close as they get to a ballad, tinges of soul coming through the crunchy exterior, and standout “Nobody’s Baby” is the best song Thin Lizzy never wrote: a fierce, punchy mission statement with a sing-along chorus and a shoulder-shaking groove. The whole EP is great, and you can stream it below, along with the new video for “Nobody’s Baby.” (brooklynvegan.com)III 7" by SHEER MAG

Hailing from Richmond, VA, Lucy Dacus and her band have been touring the east coast and Midwest the past year, and will be making their way to SXSW this spring during a month long tour following the release of her first album, No Burden. After a childhood of primarily musical theater and Bruce Springsteen thanks to her mom and dad, she bought an acoustic guitar and taught herself some chords with hopes of one day being the cool girl at church camp. Luckily things changed in high school when kind friends showed her Broken Social Scene, Yo La Tengo, and Ava Luna- bands she continues to listen to regularly. Lucy quickly fell in love with the Richmond music scene and did what she could to sneak into 18+ shows during her high school years, always content as a spectator, not yet participating despite the encouragement of friends. When she decided to study film in college, people were surprised and would say, "not music?" It took years of convincing, confidence building, and a great change of heart before Lucy decided to pursue music.

With the help of Miles Huffman on drums, Mike Ferster on guitar, Jacob Blizard on guitar, and Noma Illmensee on bass, Lucy's previously solo croons bite deeper and hit harder while the lyrics remain at the forefront, as honest and compelling as ever. No Burden was recorded one day in January 2015 in Nashville with producer/engineer/longtime friend Collin Pastore, Hayden Cotcher on drums, Christine Moad on bass, and Jacob Blizard on guitar. (terrorbird.com)